KENNETH CORNACCHIO

Services for Kenneth Paul Cornacchio, 63, of Sioux Falls were held Thursday, January 31 at Rustic Hills Community Church in Sioux Falls. Interment was in the Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis on Monday, February 4 with military honors.

Kenneth Paul Cornacchio, son of Mario Sr. and Gertrude (Cuneo) Cornacchio was born April 7, 1955, in Salem, Massachusetts. Ken graduated from Salem High School in Salem, MA. He attended South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City and later graduated from BlackHillsState University with a BA in business. He enlisted in the US Air Force on November 24, 1975 until earning his honorable discharge on June 7, 1978. During his service time he was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City where he was a security specialist for the missile silos. He fell in love with the area and lived out most of his life there.

He was united in marriage to Renee Walters on April 24, 1999, at Destiny Four Square in RapidCity.Hewasemployedasa purchaser for Butler Caterpillar for 13 years. He was also a loan officer with Conseco and Wells Fargo in Rapid City for many years.

A true passion of his was youth soccer. He coached Rec League Soccer for over 20 years in Rapid City, Sturgis and Gillette, WY. Ken last worked for the school system in Gillette, WY and recently taught at Rosa Parks Elementary in Sioux Falls. He loved being around children. Other joys were decorating for Christmas and giving away the bounty from Renee's garden. Ken also loved his dogs Rosco, Bobby, Oscar and Daisy. He greatly loved his grandchildren. They moved to Sioux Falls in 2015 to be closer to family. Ken and Renee are members of Rustic Hills Community Church in Sioux Falls. Ken accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior in 1998.

Left to cherish h is memory are his wife, Renee of Sioux Falls; son, Brian (Melinda) Roth of Garretson; grandchildren, Jacob, Rebekah, Caleb, Elizabeth, Sarah and Ariel; brothers-in-law, Harry (Linda) Walters of Wagner, Emery (Jackie) Walters of Rapid City and Warren (Barb) Walters of Tyndall; sisters-in-law, MaryAnn Deurmier of Wagner, Ellen Jenkinson of Tyndall, Carol (Dave) Schafer of Custer and Linda Plaatje of Avon; also nieces, nephews, many great friends and soccer family. Also surviving are his family that are not local residents: Angie, Tony, Mario Jr., and Elizabeth.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and brothers-in-law, Gary Deurmier, Bob Jenkinson and Jim Plaatje.